Carbonator.



A. KOESCHE. GARBONATOR.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 21 Patented Mar. 17, 1914.

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UNI SARS ATENT OFFICE.

ANDREW KOESCI-IE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 THE BASTIAN BLESSING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

CARBONATOR.

Leed-ist.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 17, 19111.

Application filed June 21, 1913. Serial No. 774,952.

To all whom t may concer/n.

Be it known that I, ANDREW Konsens, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Carbonators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to carbonating apparatus in which carbonic acid gas under pressure is mixed with water or other liquid to produce a carbonated beverage, and has more particular reference to an improved means for automatically controlling the motor which operates the pump and other operative mechanisms oit the apparatus.

One of the primary objects of the present invention is the provisions ot an improved mechanism adapted to be operated by the gas pressure from the mixing tank :tor auto-l matically applying the electric current to the operating motor in such a manner that the motor will always start slowly without shock and without imposing undue strains upon the operating parts and will gradually increase in speed until the maximum is reached.

Other objects and many of thc attendant advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art as the invention becomes better understood by reference to the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, Athe single figure oi which illustrates in side elevation a carbonating apparatus of standard type equipped with my invention.

Referring to the drawings, 5 designates a tank in which the water and gas are mixed, this tank being supplied with water through a pipe 6 from a reciprocating double-acting pump 7 provided with an inlet pipe S. The pump may be o1 any preferred construction, but in the present instance I have shown the pump 7 as a double-acting pump having inlet connections S) and 11 and discharge connections 12 and 13 respectively.

The piston rod 141 of the pump is connected by a c ank-arm 15 with the drivehead 1G of a shaft (not shown) mounted in a suitable standard 17 and carrying on its opposite end a gear wheel 18. An electric motor 19 oi' any preferred type is equipped with a driving pinion 21 meshing with and driving the gear wheel 18. rl.`he mixing tank is provided with a rotary agitator of any preferred construction which is driven by means oit a drive-chain 22 from a sprocket wheel Q8 mounted on the main shaft carrying the gear wheel 18.

(las under pressure is admitted trom any suitable source of supply to the mixing tank through a connection Q-f-t or otherwise, and the water from the pump 7 is conducted through pipes G and 25 to the top o'l' the mixing chamber QG and [lows donuiwardly therein to the mixing tank, while the gas rising in the mixing chamber is thoroughly mixed with the water, the surplus gas being returned to the bottom o1 the mixing chamber through pipe 27. i

A gas pipe 2S is coupled to the connection Q9 at the base ot' the mixing chamber and also to an angle connection on the side of the mixing tank provided with a controlling valve 31, carried by a stem 32 connected to a balanced lever 83 pivotally mounted on a stud 84, projecting jlrom the side of the mixing tank. A balanced tank 35 is suspended from one end o1 the lever 33 and a weight 36 is suspended from the opposite end. A hose 37 connects the upper end of the balanced tank with the mixing tank and a similar hose 3S connects the lower end of the balanced tank with the mixing tank. By reason oil these connecting hose the level of the liquid in the balanced tank always approximates thc level of the liquid in the mixing tank. When the balanced tank is approximately full o1 water it will overbalance the weight 3G and close the gas pipe 2S by means ot the valve 31. lVhen, however, a considerable quantity ot' carbonated liquid has been drawn oil' :trom the mixing tank the balanced tank will decrease in weight until it will be overbalanced by the weight 3G, whereupon the valve 31 will be opened to admit gas under jnessure :from the pipe Q8 to the pipe 39 leading to my improved con trolling device.

The balanced tank and its connections are substantially like those disclosed in Patent No. 932,093, granted to Bastian, August 21, 1909. rlhe pump disclosed in the Bastian patent is hydraulically operated and the gas pressure in the mixingl tank is utilized to operate a controlling valve for the pump. My present invention, on the other hand, contemplates the employment of the gas pressure for controlling an electrically operated pump. l therefore provide a board 41 which may be mounted in any suitable location adjacent the carbonating apparatus and on this board are located a rheostat 4t2 of usual construction, a pair of line switches 433 pivoted at la and a mechanism for automatically operating the switches and the rheostat. The mechanism comprises, in the form of my invention illustrated on the drawings, a cylinder 45 to one end of which is connected the gas pipe 39. l/Vithin the cylinder a piston is arranged to reciprocate and the piston rod 46 is guided adjacent its extremity by a guide e?. A coiled expansion spring 48 surrounding the piston rod normally urges the piston in the cylinder toward the lower end where the pipe 39 is attached. A lever 49 is pivotally mounted on the board at 51 and comprises an arm 52 provided with an elongated slot 53, which engages a boss or stud 54 projecting laterally from the piston rod. Another arm 55 rigid with the arms i9 and 52 is connected by a link 56 with a rod 57 attached to the tails of the line switches 43.

When the parts are in the position indicated on the drawing, the line switches are open, the motor is at rest and the balanced tank 35 is in lowered position. l/Vhen carbonated liquid has been withdrawn from the mixing tank until the weight 86 overbalances the balanced tank, gas under pressure will be admitted to the lower end of the cylinder l5 through the pipes 28 and 39 by operation of the valve 3l. rlhe gas pressure within the cylinder il() will force the piston therein upwardly, thereby swinging the lever t9 about the pivot 5l te first close the line switches 43 and then cause the lever 49 to engage the operating handle 58 and swing this handle consecutively from one button to the next of the rheostat, thereby gradually cutting out the resistance and permitting the motor to speed up. lWhen all of the resistance has been cut out, the handle 58 will be held by the electro-magnet 59 so long as current is applied. Vhen the pump 7 has supplied liquid to the mixing tank and the balanced tank until the balanced tank overbalances the weight 36, the valve 3l will be operated to close the pipe 2S andv open pipe 39 to the atmosphere, which will permit the gas to escape from t-he cylinder 45. rlhe spring 4:8 will there-- upon return the piston to its lower position, thereby opening the line switches and return the lever 4:9 to normal inoperative position and as soon as the circuit is broken the handle 58 will be returned to inoperative position by a spring in the usual manner.

It is believed that my invention and its mode of operation will be fully understood from the foregoing without further description and it will be manifest that the size, shape, proportion and arrangement of the various parts may be changed within wide limits without departing from the scope of my invention as set forth in the following claims.

I claim:

l. In a carbonating apparatus, the combination of a mixing tank, a pump for supplying water to said tank, a motor forI operating said pump, a switch and a rheostat in the motor operating circuit, means operated by gas pressure from the mixing tank for closing said switch and slowly operating said rheostat, and means controlled by the level of the liquid in said tank for controlling the supply of gas to said means.

2. ln a carbonating apparatus, the combination of a mixing tank, an electrically driven pump for supplying water to said tank, a rheostat and a switch disposed in the pump operating circuit, a pressure actuated device adapted to operate said switch and rheostat, connections for supplying gas.

under pressure from said tank to said device, means controlled by the liquid level in the tank for controlling the supply of gas to said device, and means for restoring said device to normal position when the gas pressure is released.

3. ln a carbonating apparatus, the combination of a mixing tank, an electrically operated pump for supplying water thereto, a rheostat and an electric switch located in the pump operating circuit, a pressure actuated device, including a plunger and a pivotally mounted lever adapted to operate said switch and rheostat, a connection for supplying gas under pressure to said device from the mixing tank, and means operated by variation in liquid level in the tank for controlling the supply of gas from the tank to said device;

4. ln a carbonating apparatus, the combination of a mixing' tank, an electrically operated pump, a rheostat interposed inthe pump operating circuit, a cylinder mounted adjacent said rheostat, a plunger reciprocal in said cylinder, a pivoted lever connected with the plunger and adapted to operate said rheostat, connections for supplying gas to said cylinder from said mixing tank to move said plunger in one direction, means for controlling the flow of gas to and from said cylinder, and means for returning said plunger to normal inoperative position.

5. In a carbonating apparatus, the combination of a mixing tank, an electrically operated pump, a rheostat and a switch disposed in the pump operating circuit, a cylinder, a piston mounted to reciprocate in said cylinder, connections between said piston and ll Si? Said switch, a level' operated from said pisoperate the rheostat, and means actuated by t0n to control the rheostat, a spring no1- val'ations in the liquid level in the tank for 10 mally retaining said switch in open position controlling the supply of gasto said cylinder.

and said lever in ino erative osition With respect to the lheostatla eonnetion for sup- ANDREW KOESCHE plying gas under pressure to said cylinder Witnesses:

from the mixing tank t0 move the piston l/VILLIAM LOTHAR,

and thereby close the switch and gradually A. C. KREIN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

